Our prediction for this Europa Conference League match:
Sivasspor will be aiming to extend their winning run in the Conference League qualifiers to four games when they host Dinamo Batumi at their Yeni 4 Eylul Stadyumu in the return leg. The Turks won the first leg thanks to Olarenwaju Kayode’s late goal, with the team moving one step closer to securing their place in the playoffs. Sivasspor are seen as favourites to win the return leg as well, but they will have to prove their worth on the field.
Experienced attacker Mustafa Yatabare is widely expected to lead the line for the hosts. The Georgians, on the other hand, face a difficult task in the return leg. Unlike Sivasspor, Dinamo Batumi were in action in the national championship at the weekend, which is probably the main reason why home win should be considered. Important attacker Flamarion is likely to miss the game through injury for the visiting team.
Highlighted Player (Mamadou Samassa):
Mamadou Samassa is a goalkeeper who plays for Troyes in Ligue 1. Samassa was born in Montreuil, France on February 16, 1990 and he played for France U18, U19 and U20 teams in the past. However, thanks to his dual citizenship the 197-cm-tall shoot-stopper represents Mali at senior level and he made his debut for the Malian national team on January 20, 2013 in a 1-0 victory over Niger.
Speaking of his club career, Mamadou Samassa played for youth teams of Collinee-Le Gouray and PEF Pioufragan before joining Guingamp in 2013.
After playing 126 league games for the Guingamp first team, Samassa moved to Troyes in the summer of 2016. The Malian goalkeeper managed to keep 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances for Troyes in the 2016/2017 Ligue 2 campaign. It has to be noted that Mamadou Samassa won the 2013/2014 French Cup with Guingamp, with the Ligue 1 side beating Rennes in the title game. The Troyes shoot-stopper has a contract with the Stade de l’Aube outfit which expires on June 30, 2019.
Highlighted Team (Sivasspor):
Sivasspor is a Turkish football club based in the city of Sivas. The Red and Whites have been competiting in the Super Lig since 2005, but they have yet to win the domestic trophy. The club’s biggest came in the 2008/09 season when they finished the campaign in the second position in the standings, five points behind champions Besiktas.
As a result, they represented Turkey in the Champions League third qualifying round. Anderlecht proved to be a big catch for the Yigidolar in the qualifiers for the elite competition and, to make things even worse for the fans, the Red and Whites were beaten by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League playoffs as well.
Sivasspor welcome their rivals at Sivas Stadium, which can hold up to 27,532 spectators. Max Gradel, Arouna Kone and Mustapha Yatabare are the notable players who play for the clubs. Sivasspor were founded on May 9, 1967.